I'm here if you want to
by CrzA
Summary: Todoroki is going back to his room after going to the bathroom late at night. On his way past the common room, he finds Midoriya crying by himself and he can't help but stop and try to comfort him.


Midoriya is a small ball of sunshine. Always bright and cheerful, shining light into the lives of people around him, so much so that sometimes it might even be blinding. Still, it was inspiring, the way such a tiny body could hold so much positive energy and unwavering determination. Even though tears were easy to reach his eyes for one reason or another, despite that fact that the odds seemed stacked against him, he always ended up putting on a smile and walking forward. At least, that's what most people thought when they interacted with him.

Todoroki agreed with them to some extent. Sure, Midoriya was a happy-go-lucky kind of guy on the surface, he was a quirky character that seemed to push a smile onto people's faces (even his own), but that's not all there was to him. Not to Todoroki.

Anyone else might've been surprised to hear sniffles sounding from the common room when coming back from the bathroom late at night. It was well past their lights out notice and everyone should be asleep, or at the very least back in their respective rooms. Todoroki stops his steady track towards the elevator, a choked off sob pulling him out of his sleepy haze and drawing him towards the direction of the noise. _He_ isn't surprised to find Midoriya sat on one of the couches, his legs pulled up tight against his chest and face hidden behind his knees. The only visible identifiable feature in the dark is the messy mop of hair, one hand tangled in the curls at the back of his head as the other is laying limply over the tops of his bare feet. The boy's shoulders are shaking slightly, the occasional hiccup echoing loudly in the empty silence that surrounds them both.

From the entrance, Todoroki ponders whether or not he should make his presence known, a hand rubbing at the back of his neck as he weighed his options. Despite the fact that this turn of events didn't come as much of a shock to him, he can't ignore the way it weighs heavily on his chest. This is one of the rare occasions in which he actually curses his lack of social skills, usually not one to really care about the fact and simply keeping to himself.

He takes a step forward before stopping, a particularly harsh cry wracking through Midoriya's small body. The boy looks even tinier than usual curled up like that, almost as if he's trying to disappear. Todoroki lets out a silent exhale, a puff of icy breath gathering around his mouth before dissolving into the warmer air of the room.

"Midoriya." He calls out, just loud enough for the other to hear, but not so loud that it might disturb the stillness around them.

Startled, Midoriya straightens up suddenly, a small yelp cutting off with an unexpected sob as he hastens to wipe the tears with the back of his shirt's sleeve. He drops his legs to the floor and lets the arm fall from his face to flop by his side, sitting a little less hunched over.

"A-ah, T-Todoroki-kun. What are you doing up so late?" The question was obviously meant to divert the attention from his previous state, perhaps hoping that his classmate hadn't seen much and this could just be brushed off as if it had never happened. As if Todoroki could ignore the way Midoriya's eyes looked somewhat glazed over in their puffy redness, robbed of their usual joyful glisten and replaced by a dead sheen. As if that shaky smile he'd plastered onto his face could actually fool anyone into thinking he was okay.

Uraraka would have fussed over him, told him that whatever was on his mind would be okay and offered him something to get his mind off of it. Iida would have tried to rationalise away the sadness, offering maybe a few words of encouragement. Todoroki does none of those things. Instead, he walks over the small distance between them, sits by his right side on that same couch, then stares forward, not looking at the bewildered boy still trying to keep the tears from his emerald eyes.

"You don't have to talk about it. But I'm here if you want to." Todoroki says simply.

Midoriya's hands fist at his knees, bunching up the fabric of his sweats in between his fingers and gritting his teeth. He looks at his lap and tries to fight off the sniffle, tries to keep the salty tears from pooling in his eyes and falling on the back of his hands. He tries so hard. But when Todoroki's left hand rests over his right, a barely there squeeze breaks through him, wrenching the hiccup out of him that opens the flood gates. Drop after small drop, the back of Todoroki's hand is stained with the tracks of Midoriya's tears, tracing paths over the curves of his knuckles and forming growing dark circles on the teen's sweatpants.

Neither of the boys say anything. Midoriya cries and Todoroki listens, sat still by his side, looking straight at the wall on the far end of the room. His gaze only shifts when a head comes to rest on his shoulder, twitching ever so slightly at the sudden weight resting there. For a moment, Todoroki considers returning his eyes to the spot somewhere above the TV but decides against it. He brings his right hand up to pet Midoriya's hair softly, still not uttering a single word. He doesn't need to. Midoriya doesn't need him to say anything.

A shuddering breath comes out of the crying boy's mouth and Todoroki snakes his fingers further into his hair, his own head falling to the top of Midoriya's, eyes fluttering closed. With each of Midoriya's sobs, both their bodies shake in unison with the force behind them. They stay like that for what feels like forever, neither really caring enough to check.

Todoroki doesn't know how much time has passed until the sniffles finally stop. His shirt is sticking to his skin where Midoriya cried into it but he isn't bothered by it, not when he turns his body just enough to wrap his arms around his middle, burying his face in Todoroki's neck. He whispers a "thank you" into the sensitive skin there and Todoroki manages to just nod, suppressing the shiver that crawls down his spine.

When Midoriya breaks away, rubbing at his eyes, Todoroki can't help the pang of disappointment at the loss of contact with him, but otherwise keeps that feeling to himself. Mismatched eyes meet tired green ones and are greeted with a small smile. It's a wilted and shrivelled thing compared to the usual grins the boy has to offer but it makes his heart stutter all the same.

"I'm sorry." Midoriya murmurs, causing Todoroki to tilt his head in confusion. "For keeping you up, messing up your shirt." He gestures in the general direction of Todoroki's shoulder and the boy huffs out an icy breath.

He doesn't dignify that with an answer, simply laying his right hand on the top of his head and ruffling his already constantly messy hair. Midoriya scrunches up his nose, freckles bunching together with the motion and peeks at Todoroki from beneath his eye-lashes with a hint of bemusement. The hand slides down to his face, the thumb rubbing at his cheek to wipe away a stray tear that still manages to fall from his eye. Todoroki's touch is nice and cool, easing the soreness of his swollen eyes and Midoriya can't stop himself from leaning into the pleasantly chilled palm, rubbing his face into it. It's only when he realises what he's doing that he quickly backs away with an apology at his lips that's quickly silenced by the other pulling him back into his arms in a gentle embrace. He cradles Midoriya's head into the right crook of his neck, the skin there just cold enough as his warm hand goes back to petting through his hair.

"You don't have to cry alone." Todoroki mumbles into his hair, leaning back into a comfortable position with Midoriya nestled against him.

They don't remember falling asleep, but one thing is certain. None of the kids who find them the next morning dare to disturb the pair wrapped in each other's arms.

 **NOTE: Just a small one-shot that I decided to write after reading a post about how there aren't enough TodoDeku fics about Midoriya dealing with his own feelings and short-comings. This idea just popped up in my head and I decide to type it out. Hope you enjoyed it and please leave any feedback you may have ^-^**


End file.
